My Toy
by LoveMarines
Summary: Tony is jealous when he sees Gibbs flirting with another man... but does he have the right to feel that way? SLASH. T/G
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, guys! This is a WIP but it will only have a couple of chapters, three at the most. For those of you who are waiting for the last chapter to my other fic 'Ice Cold Fever': working on it as we speak/type! :) **

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><p>Gibbs can't suppress a sigh when he hears the familiar creaking of the stairs leading to his basement. He knows without a doubt who would come here at this hour. He's the <em>only<em> one who would come here at this hour.

"Hey."

He doesn't acknowledge him, has learned not to read into these late night visits. His movements barely faltering, he resumes the sanding. Normally it soothes him but the presence of the man sitting on the bottom step of the stairs always seems to be able to bring him off kilter. His skin feels too tight. It tingles and he has to tighten his grip on the sander block to keep from reaching out and touching _him_. Experience has taught him to keep his impulses in check but he can't seem to get used to the wave of lust that always accompanies the sight of the younger man.

Tony doesn't seem to notice Gibbs' silence, or maybe he just attributes it to his Boss' usual gruffness.

"So, that was an easy case today. If you scared everyone so easily into a confession, we wouldn't have a job anymore. You could be a MCRT on your own!" The younger agent cracks a smile at his own comment but his grin falters quickly when he realizes Gibbs still hasn't said anything.

Finally, the older man turns to his Senior Field Agent and sizes him up with a single glance. "Is this a social visit or did you actually have a purpose when you barged in here at three in the morning?"

His voice is soft and controlled but Tony doesn't miss the way Gibbs quickly turns his eyes back to the boat in front of him as if he can't stand to look at Tony for one more second. He sighs and decides to stop beating around the bush and just get it off his chest.

"I saw you with Balboa today." He feels strangely satisfied with the way Gibbs' hand on the sander falters for a moment before going through with the repetitive motion but slower this time. He loves to watch Gibbs work on the boat, loves to study the way his movements show his muscles under the well-worn NIS-shirt and the way he forces the wood under his fingers into submission. Just when he thinks Gibbs isn't going to say anything, the silver haired man puts down the sander and turns to gaze at him, leaning against the workbench. He picks up the mug that's left under the boat and takes a sip, his intense blue gaze never leaving Tony.

"Got a point to this DiNozzo?" There's a certain defiance in his voice now that wasn't there a couple of minutes ago.

"Well yeah, what was up with you squeezing his neck and leaning in so close? I know I did a good job when I last a whole day without getting slapped on the back of my head and I've worked with you for ten years. So I'd like to know what Balboa did right to earn your biggest smile." He's crossed his arms over his chest, only realizing it when he sees Gibbs raise an eyebrow in question.

Gibbs tries to ignore the anger flaring up in his chest but he fails to answer without a sharp edge to his words. "I expect the most from my own team. Balboa gave up his lunch hour to check a source for me. Why do you even care?"

For some reason, Tony's angry too. "Why do I care? Maybe the question should be whether you care as much as you claim to. I thought you did, but your heart is obviously bigger than it looks if you can fit so many people in it." Tony tilts his chin up, silently daring Gibbs to argue with his remark. He didn't expect the reaction he gets, however.

"Get out." He has seen Gibbs angry too many times to keep count, but he still flinches when he hears the words coming out of his Boss' mouth, cold and detached. He's used to furious Gibbs, when they have a case involving a child, or when he's annoyed by SecNav and political bullshit. However, he's only seen this anger a few times. It sounds like Gibbs is doing his best not to punch him in the face. Normally he would have backed down long ago by this point but the mere thought of Gibbs touching Balboa in an intimate way like the interaction he'd witnessed that afternoon makes him stupid enough to answer in the same indifferent tone.

"Why, what did I do wrong this time? Only two weeks ago you said you were in love with me. Is it me or do your feelings change _really_ quickly? I must say, it's nice to see you fall for anyone who looks at you admiringly. Makes me feel really special." Somewhere in between his words he stood up from the steps and now he's closing in on Gibbs, keeping his gaze trained on the Marine.

Gibbs backs off, needs to put more distance in between them. He opens his mouth two times before he manages to answer, his voice tight and restrained. "You're _jealous_?" He invades Tony's personal space and jabs a finger in the younger man's chest with each word he forces over his lips. "_You_ got drunk, _you_ came here. And then if I recall it right, _you_ kissed _me_ after _I _put you on the couch to keep myself from taking advantage of the situation. Because I _knew_ you couldn't handle my feelings. I knew I should have never said anything about it in the first place and I've never expected you to go easy on me since. But now you have the _nerve_ to come here and claim what you seem to think is yours after someone else showed interest in it? You're like a child DiNozzo, you're not playing with your toy but no one else can play with it either, is that it?"

"Come on Gibbs. You know a relationship between us wouldn't have much chance of working out. We're both as jealous as can be. You have three failed marriages and my fear of commitment doesn't go too well with relationships either. But I guess that somewhere down the line I started fantasizing too, about what it'd be like to have you to come home to. And today you made me regret it. You obviously don't know what you want and there's absolutely no way I could handle you touching everyone in the office the way I want you to touch me. So let's just… put this behind us and move on, focus on other things than whatever did or did not happen between us."

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><p><strong>TBC? Let me know! X<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the sweet and encouraging reviews guys! Here's the second chapter. There will probably be one more after this one, two at the most. I have lots of free time on my hands now so I should be able to update more. If you still want me to, that is sorry for the long wait! **

Chapter two 

Flashback

_As soon as he picks up on the scratching noise behind his front door, Gibbs grabs his service weapon and swiftly moves to stand behind the door. He lays his hand on the doorknob and after counting to three, jerks it open in one fluid motion. He quickly lowers the weapon after finding what seems to be a _very_drunk Second in Command on his porch._

"Hey, Jethro! Wha're you doin' ere?"

_Gibbs raises an eyebrow. "This is my house, DiNozzo." _

_Tony blinks a few times as if he's trying to place all the pieces to the puzzle together and then he looks back at Gibbs with a small smile gracing his lips. "That explains why my key didn't work." he grins, holding up the key to his own apartment._

"_Yeah, it also explains the weird scratching noise at my door. Come in 'cause you're not going anywhere in this state." Gibbs moves to get back into the house but when he looks behind him, he notices that Tony hasn't budged so he takes his hand and gently pulls him into the house. He pushes Tony onto the couch but the younger man doesn't let go of his hand in time and he pulls him down with him so Gibbs ends up lying on top of him. Gibbs scrambles to stand up as quickly as humanly possible because he can't handle being so close to the Italian and not act on it. He pushes himself up but Tony jerks him back down with surprising strength considering how drunk he is and wraps his arms around his Boss' neck. "This 's nice Boss", he slurs softly as he pulls the older man's body flush against his own. Gibbs backs off a little to look into Tony's eyes and he's taken aback by the unguarded look he receives in return. It takes all his willpower to keep from pinning his Agent down and kissing him senseless. _

"_Let go of me, DiNozzo." It was meant to sound like he was in control and merely irritated by Tony's irrational behavior but instead it comes out like a plea, a whisper, as if it's the right thing to say but he himself doesn't even believe if that is what he truly wants. His Senior Agent pouts at his words. "Why? You're my blanket Gibbs, I don't want to get cold." _

_Gibbs searches Tony's eyes. He might as well come clean, it's not like Tony will remember this in the morning. "Tony", he sighs, "you can't do this, you can't hug me like this. I'm in love with you and it's really hard to ignore that as it is, I don't need you coddling me on top of that." He reaches behind him to free himself from Tony's arms but Tony moves his hand up to cup the back of Gibbs' head and pulls him down to meet his hungry lips. The kiss is messy, uncoordinated but the soft groan that escapes from Tony's lips as he deepens the kiss, sends a full body shiver down Gibbs' spine. He knows it's a bad idea, knows that Tony wouldn't do this if he was sober. He doesn't want to be the sensible one, not tonight, not when he has Tony pinned underneath him and the younger man is nibbling on his bottom lip. He presses a kiss to the corner of Tony's mouth and then pulls himself free from his embrace. Tony pouts again but when Gibbs throws an afghan over his body and combs his fingers through his brown strands, he quickly falls asleep and Gibbs is left alone once more. _

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><p>Gibbs sighs. Ever since Tony stayed over two weeks ago, that kiss has been the only thing on his mind when he's lying alone in bed at night. He rubs his tired eyes with the back of his hand and thinks back to the argument they had last night. After Tony had told him to give up on the idea of them ever being a couple, he had gone back to working on the boat, unable to keep looking his Senior Agent in the eyes when he felt tears burn behind his own. So he'd just ignored Tony until the younger man had shrugged and given up on talking things out. Gibbs had kept his eyes fixed on the boat as Tony ascended the stairs and slammed the front door shut on his way out. After that he hadn't been able to get the other man out of his head so he had given up on the boat and gone to bed - where he was still lying now, trying to make something out of this mess.<p>

Could he handle seeing Tony at work every day without the slightest bit of hope that it might lead to something more? He had always allowed his rules to control his life. And he hadn't minded because he simply didn't meet anyone who he considered to be worthy of breaking one of them. Ex-wives, lawyers and other annoying people he had met in his life up 'til now had simply proven the value of said rules. But after ten years of having DiNozzo under his command, the two of them had slowly grown into a friendship and Gibbs hadn't realized it at the time but somehow, somewhere along the way, his feelings had evolved into a strong and steady feeling of love and affection towards the younger man. It wasn't earth-shattering, it didn't freak him out that he was in love with a man. The day he realized that he loved Tony, he just accepted it because he simply couldn't see the point in fighting something when that same thing made him happier than he'd been in the past twenty years. Ever since he lost his girls, he'd been scared that he'd never be able to open up again like he'd done with Shannon. He didn't search for it consciously, but there was always some part of him, at the back of his mind, that wondered. What if? Three marriages – and just as many divorces – later, he had met DiNozzo on a case in Baltimore and they'd had an instant connection. The way the younger man would tease and challenge him on a daily basis was… refreshing. It surprised him how relieved he felt that he had found someone who was able to stand up to him, like Shannon had been, but at the same time seemed to understand him to an extent that none of his ex-wives had. So when he had gotten up one day to get ready for work and he'd found himself looking forward to seeing Tony, he hadn't felt the need to deny what he knew was love. Instead he'd embraced the knowledge that he was still able to open up to another person.

As Gibbs gets out of bed, he vaguely wonders whether last night's conversation will influence their work dynamic. He realizes that there's not much use in analyzing things before he's even gotten to the Navy Yard so he puts on the coffee maker downstairs and prepares himself to leave for work.

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><p>The issue is forced to the background when they get a case before they've even had the chance to sit down at their desks. Between takeout meals and only seeing their homes to get a couple of hours of sleep before going into work again, there's barely any time left for anything that's not case-related. Neither Gibbs or Tony brings up the conversation they had and after a few days, it seems to be forgotten. When a lead finally brings them to their killer, they use their last energy to get the paper work done and debrief the Director.<p>

They sit at their desks, not sure of what comes next. Tony just stares ahead of him while Ziva is cleaning her knife and McGee is shutting down his computer. When Gibbs comes downstairs he looks at his team, wonders what they are still doing in the office. He's distracted when the elevator reaches their floor and Abby gets out. She's so tired that she can't even lift the heavy boots on her feet high enough to walk properly so she just shuffles toward them and drops down on McGee's lap, yawning. "I don't want to go home yet," she mutters, "I'll just keep thinking about this case. Do you guys want to go get a drink? I need some booze."

That's how they end up at a little bar near the Navy Yard.

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><p>Jethro is listening to one of Ducky's stories about the time he went to college in Edinburgh and next to him, his team is doing shots with Abby.<p>

"Oh man, I really needed this", Tony sighs happily as he feels the strong liquor burning its way down his throat. Abby grins as she orders the next round and they fall into an easy conversation. Ziva is just beginning to explain one of the endless possibilities of killing someone with a toothpick when she's interrupted by a high shriek coming from Abby. They all jump a little and look at her questioningly, only to find her pointing at something excitedly.

"Use your words, sweetie", Tony smiles. "Jukebox!" she gasps, as she starts pulling at his sleeve. There's not much persuasion needed as Tony jumps up to join her on a small dance floor. The rest of the team looks at them as their two friends start shaking their butts on the rhythm of the music. Jethro swallows hard when Tony looks over his shoulder and their eyes meet. The younger agent smiles broadly and gestures for Gibbs to come over. Ziva and Tim look at each other and then at the other two men, as if trying to decide if they really just witnessed a very bold Tony trying to get their team leader to dance. Predictably, the older man declines the offer by arching an eyebrow and silently daring Tony to make him do something he doesn't want to do. But his Senior Agent doesn't give up so easily – or he's simply too drunk to realize the non-verbal message in his Boss' demeanor.

Tony stumbles over to their table and nearly falls over Tim's feet in the process before he manages to hold himself upright with the help of the table.

Ducky sighs. "Dear friends, I believe I have seen enough for one night. When you reach my age, one begins to value a good night's sleep all the more." They all say their goodbyes and then Abby comes over to join the team back at the table. "Noooo", Tony whines, "I wanna dance some more!"

"Sorry babe, my feet are _really _sore. You should try to wear these boots for an entire day and then dance for hours. Mission impossible!" Tony pouts at Abby's words but then he notices Gibbs just sitting there and he grins mischievously. "Okay Gibbs, now you _have _to dance!" he holds out his hand expectantly and his Boss glances at it for a moment before focusing back on his handsome features. Tim cringes a little in expectation of the Mother of All Headslaps but it doesn't come. Instead, Gibbs folds his arms across his chest. "What's in it for me?" his voice is husky and Tony shivers involuntarily. "I will do your paperwork for Monday." He flashes his white teeth in a handsome broad grin and hopes it isn't all too clear how much he really wants Gibbs to come up there with him.

"Nah, don't think so."

Tony narrows his eyes at the older man and slightly raises his chin in an effort to estimate his opponent. "Okay, okay. I will do your paperwork for a week and get you coffee."

Tim raises an eyebrow and glances at Ziva. Ziva shrugs and tries to hide her surprise when Gibbs sighs heavily and then moves to get up and join Tony. The younger Agent's jaw drops and then he jumps up excitedly and takes Gibbs' hand, almost dragging him over to where the jukebox stands.

Abby leans over the table to whisper at her other two teammates still sitting there. "Why is he getting away with this?"

Tim just smiles. "You mean, why isn't Gibbs killing him already? He probably already planned an extra sparring session as his first order of business on Monday. Or he thinks that his attraction to Tony isn't too obvious to anyone with eyes? Ziva jerks her head in his direction. "Thank you!", she exclaims, "I thought I was the only one who noticed the lingering stares!"

"Lingering.. what?" If Abby's eyes grow any bigger, they'll probably fall out of her head. Tim smirks. "You may not have noticed 'cause you're usually not in the bullpen but to anyone who sees Gibbs interact with Tony day in, day out, the staring is hard to miss.

"Yeah but Gibbs stares at everyone. You know, the I-am-in-control-stare?" Abby interjects. "Only, he does it when Tony isn't looking." Tim's answer is enough to make Abby stare at the two men who are now dancing on an R.E.M. song. Then suddenly, the next song starts and Abby gulps as she realizes it's a slow.

Tony doesn't give Gibbs any time to make up his mind, as he puts his arms around Gibbs neck and closes in the distance between them. "I can't believe you want to do all my work for an entire week just to dance with me. _And _you're getting me coffee whenever I want it." Gibbs leans in and whispers in Tony's ear. "You just _love _pleasing me, don't ya?" Tony moans softly at the words and presses his ear closer to Gibbs' lips.

Abby, Ziva and Tim try to look absorbed in conversation as Gibbs approached them. The Boss leaned over the forensic scientist to grab his jacket and keys. "We're off rotation 'til Monday. Eight sharp, don't bother showing your faces before that, got it?" They nod and wish him a good weekend before watching him disappear through the door.

"I think I'm gonna go too." Tim yaws and stretches his back before getting up. "Ziva, you want a ride? I'm dropping Abs off anyway so you can come too if you want." Ziva complies and they start collecting their things when Tony approaches them. "I paid the tab. You guys leaving already?" He pouts but he doesn't seem to mind as he's already putting on his jacket himself. A few minutes later, their ways part as Tony promises to walk home and pick up his car the next day.

He smiles as he walks the short distance to his apartment. He's actually not that drunk at all, but he knew Tim wouldn't have let it go if he had taken his car. He also knew that Gibbs would have never agreed to dance with him if he'd been sober. A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do, so to speak. When he nears his door, his steps falter for only a second but it's enough for the man at his doorstep to look up and meet his eyes. It's only a few more meters before he reaches his home but he begins to walk faster anyway. There are only five steps to his door but he takes them two at a time, until he's finally able to wrap his arms around the older man's neck again. They've only been apart for half an hour but it felt like an eternity. His fingertips itch to caress the man's silver strands and he gives in to the urge easily, reveling in the split-second Gibbs closes his eyes to enjoy the subtle touch of the Italian's fingers. When he reopens them, Tony's green gaze seems to be much closer than he'd expected but neither man thinks about backing off for even an instant. Tony dips his head slightly and their lips meet in a soft caress. Tony backs off slightly to open his door and then pulls Gibbs over the threshold, closes the door and pushes the man against it.

"Want to see all the other things I want to do for you?" he whispers in Gibbs' ear. Gibbs grabs a handful of Tony's brown strands on the back of his neck and pulls him back to meet his gaze.

"You'll do whatever I tell you to." He says it calmly but the passion behind his words is barely hidden. Tony surges forward and captures Gibbs' lips in a second, much more aggressive kiss. He softly bites the older man's bottom lip and then runs his tongue over it, effectively getting Gibbs to open up and meet his tongue in a battle for dominance in which they don't care much for who wins.

The taste of Tony's mouth, the smell of his expensive cologne and the feel of his fingers in his neck, make Gibbs think back of the first time they did this. The time where Tony kissed him because he was drunk. It makes him pull back but he can't put much distance in between their bodies as his back already touches the front door. He opens his mouth to speak but no words come out so he clears his throat and tries again.

"Tony." he lays his hand on the younger man's chest and holds it there so he won't come any closer and make this more difficult than it already is. "We can't keep doing this just 'cause you're drunk."

Tony meets his eyes easily but he looks concerned. "Jethro…" he whispers the name, afraid to break the spell they seem to be under. "Please…"

Gibbs softly pushes against Tony's chest, making him back off just enough to step away from the door. The younger man grabs his hand in an effort to pull him back into his arms but Gibbs jerks it free. "No. This isn't enough."

They both stand there for a while, getting accustomed to the dark living room without uttering a word. Finally, Tony looks up from the floor and he tries to hold back the shiver running along his spine but he knows he failed when Gibbs sighs. "I'll see you Monday." He takes one last look at his Agent before opening the door and stepping out in the cold night air.

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><p>TBC!<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys, last chapter! A massive thanks to everyone who reviewed and encouraged me to continue this, even though it was hard for me to write.**

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><p><span>Chapter 3<span>

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><p>Tony smiles sweetly when his fingers brush the soft hand of the girl handing him a coffee cup. She blushes and quickly glances away from him. The usual thrill he gets from a pretty girl crushing on him, is strangely absent this time. Actually he's been too busy dealing with his attraction towards his Boss, it kinda took the whole weekend to get over being rejected. He doesn't get why Gibbs wants to get more out of this. Haven't they already gone over this? Why would a relationship between them have any chance of working out? They're the two people with the most ridiculous track-record in the whole Navy Yard and yet, Gibbs seems to think that they have to put all that aside and, what, just <em>jump<em> into it?

He's always had his Boss' six and their familiar routine brings him comfort, especially when their job brings them into unfamiliar territory. Gibbs isn't a man of impulsive actions, he thinks things through and then acts on what his intelligence and gut tell him. Tony has never found it difficult to follow his lead because he feels they're on the same page when it comes to their job. He thought that they had the same understanding in their friendship but it seems like they're drifting further apart each time one of them acts on the mutual attraction that hangs in the air between them, making the hairs on his neck stand up and his skin itch in anticipation of the next head slap.

Tony has always been a confident man. He may come on a little arrogant and shallow sometimes, but it's merely a cover story, a life style to go by when surrounded by people invading his comfort zone. But he always makes sure to show enough of his true identity when alone with the team. Sure, he loves a good prank from time to time and who could resist teasing Ziva every once in a while, especially now she needs to be cheered up from the whole C.-affair? But he knows it's important to be known by the people who protect him. He takes his time to get to know them, too. Although he acts like he's allergic to McGee's 'nerdy' videogames, he comes over to his apartment at least once a week, armed with a six pack to beat him at 'Grand Theft Auto'. When one of the nuns is feeling a bit under the weather, Tony takes her place to make sure that Abby's bowling team is complete. When he needs to unload after a case, he gets Ziva to join him at the shooting range and they make sure to challenge each other into going beyond their usual limits. He loves the team and he couldn't miss any one of them, but Gibbs is by far the most essential part of his life in _and_ outside of NCIS.

As much as he values his colleagues, sometimes he really misses the days where he and Gibbs were a two-man team. When they met in Baltimore, they just sort of _clicked _in a way that Tony had never experienced before in his life; not with his frat brothers, not with his fiancé, not even with his partner Danny. As soon as he saw a glimpse of the man under the gruff exterior of 'hard ass Marine', Tony tried to get Gibbs to open up. He wanted to see more of him, was intrigued by him and he didn't know what he was supposed to do with that feeling since he'd never felt that same drive he normally only experienced while on the job, in his private life too. He knew it was important in this line of work to have someone you could fall back on or talk to after an intense case, so he made himself available to offer support whenever he thought the older man needed it. Of course, that was when he hadn't yet realized the functional mute-thing going on with his new Boss. After a couple of failed attempts at getting him to open up via the soft and understanding approach, Ducky had taken pity on the new Agent and he had informed him of Gibbs' allergy towards psychologists. Ever since that short but very enlightening conversation, Tony had taken a different approach to things and he had claimed the role of jokester in their well-functioning two-man team. He'd started annoying the older man on purpose so he could take out his frustration on the back of his head. If a bald spot was the only price he had to pay for giving the older man an outlet for the anger brought up in him by injustice and bureaucratic politics, he'd gladly see past that little detail. When the team had been expanded, Tony had just carried on in his 'mission' to bring comic relief to those who needed it. He knew that Gibbs saw right through him but he never confronted Tony about it in front of his teammates, he would just go a little easier on Tony when the younger man showed up in his basement later that evening, in search for affirmation of his indispensability. They began to search each other's company, first after the hard cases and then slowly it evolved into the kind of friendship where either Tony or Gibbs could just show up in the evenings, sometimes with food and beer, sometimes just to watch the other work on a boat but they always got exactly what they needed out of those evenings spent together, even though they were never really sure what it was that drove them to each other's doorstep in the first place. He knew that it was important for their work routine to respect the hierarchy at NCIS, but they were much more informal when alone. Tony would joke a little less and tease Gibbs a little more and the older man would give back as good as he got. He didn't know how to explain it but to know that he could just barge in because the door wouldn't be locked anyway, and that Gibbs would be waiting for him to come down to the basement… it felt like coming home. Eventually, the two men would just have to share a look at the office if either of them needed the company, and the other would just show up, no questions asked.

Tony didn't know when their dynamic had shifted but all of a sudden he'd started watching Gibbs' hands move over the smooth wood, he'd let his eyes roam over the toned body of his Boss and then he'd had so sit on his hands to keep from reaching out and touching him. It wasn't the attraction towards another man that shocked Tony – he'd known since college and he didn't make a secret out of it – but it surprised him that he hadn't seen it coming. He had been more quiet than usual that night and even though Gibbs would throw him questioning glances from time to time, they didn't talk about it for another couple of weeks.

He could remember that conversation as if it were yesterday. They were sitting on the couch in Gibbs' living room with plates and steaks on their lap, feet propped up on the coffee table. Tony was entertaining the older man with stories about his time in college and Gibbs was laughing heartily at the thought of his Senior Field Agent running across campus naked with a feather in his ass just because he had lost a bet. Tony felt a surge of pride in his chest at the sight of Gibbs letting down his guard and laughing like that. To know that he'd done that, almost felt as good as chasing a suspect and then tackling him in an awesome way. He hadn't realized he'd been staring at his Boss when he noticed Gibbs looking at him intently, as if trying to solve a puzzle you suspected you didn't have all the pieces to. Their eyes locked and Gibbs had seen the desire plainly written in them.

Flashback

_Tony felt like he should say something. Anything. But the intense blue eyes staring back at him made it nearly impossible to form a coherent thought. He opened his mouth a few times before he realized that he couldn't change the facts anyway, he'd probably just make it worse by rambling on and on about it. That was something he'd do at work but in here, he felt safe enough to just stay quiet and wait for the storm. He had cast his eyes down when after a few moments, he realized that the storm he was waiting for, still hadn't come so he looked back up and found Gibbs smiling that lopsided smirk of his. he frowned but that only made Gibbs' smile grow bigger. _

"_Tony, relax. In each friendship, there's a moment where you realize you could be attracted to the other person. And then you simply have a choice to make, between either that friendship or the attraction you're feeling towards the other. Us being two guys doesn't change that, we each swing both ways and we've known that about each other for years now. I knew this would happen, so now we just have to be smart and choose our partnership above everything else, especially now the team has expanded. They count on us to be a solid team, two men they can rely on, so we have to make sure that there's nothing more in between that could complicate things, you understand?" _

_Tony let out a breath he'd been holding for too long. Gibbs was exactly right, the mutual trust they had built over the years was far more important than following his hormones wherever they led him. God knows he didn't go well with relationships and his Boss hadn't exactly set the right example either. It'd be difficult not to ogle him but he could always have fun with someone else and try to put it out of his mind whenever it got hard to ignore. _

"_I expected at least a head slap, Jethro. This is a bit disappointing, I must say." Tony grinned as Gibbs gave him a mock slap on top of his head. Then he sobered up and frowned again. "Okay but seriously, why aren't you pissed? I feel like I've complicated things and you just go like 'Relax'?" _

_Gibbs shrugged. "I've been experiencing the same moments you are now." _

_Tony waited for more to come but Gibbs kept quiet after that. _

"_Seriously? You amaze me sometimes, at work you're a functioning mute and then we're here, alone, and you say these sentences, like a whole group of words and there's not a single command in it!" Tony acts amazed and it earns him another head slap. "But when it's important, you go back to saying a few words and that's that? Come on, don't leave me hanging here!" _

"_What's there to say, Tony? You're a good-looking man and I'm only human. I didn't say anything about it because I knew we couldn't act on it anyway. I know that it would mess with our work dynamic and I can't have that. It's my job as team leader to make sure that doesn't happen." _

_Tony nodded. Gibbs was entirely right but still he felt a pang of disappointment at his words. He winked at his Boss before he stood up to get them two beers. "It's a shame though, I bet it would've been steamy." _

_The only answer he gets is a chuckle and then they're back to normal. _

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><p>Tony shakes his head as he walks the short distance from the coffee shop to the Navy Yard. In theory, the whole not-acting-on-it-thing had worked but there had been numerous moments where one of them walked the thin line between friendship and <em>more. <em>Like when they were sparring; Gibbs held Tony in some grip he couldn't get out of, and he'd ask if the younger man had been working out as he leaned in a little closer. Or Tony observing Gibbs in the basement and telling him that he's glad Gibbs doesn't wear those well-worn jeans to work, because there's _no _way he could have his six without staring at his ass. If he was really honest, he had to admit that it had become increasingly difficult not to act on their mutual attraction and keep himself from just trying to convince Gibbs by jumping his bones.

A few weeks later he'd gone to a pub close to his home and he'd spent the whole evening giving his undivided attention to a pretty girl sitting at the bar. They'd hit it off and after a few shots, their conversation flowed easily and when he'd dropped her off later that night, she'd asked if he wanted to come in for a cup of coffee – the international code for 'do you want to come in for a cup of me?'. She was beautiful and Tony loved how she let go of all control when he drove in to her one last time before he came. They were sweaty and blissful, but when Tony dropped down next to her on the bed, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing. He didn't try to fool himself into guessing what that _something _was. If he had been forced to choose between having this girl in his bed on a regular basis and just kissing Gibbs once… well, let's just say that Tony didn't spend much time denying what he knew was there. He'd gotten out of the bed, mumbled something about having had a great time and he'd taken a cab to Gibbs' house where he had tried to get the kiss he so desperately wanted but he'd gotten more than he had bargained for. Gibbs was in love with him. Love. Seems like there had been more than one shift in their friendship, more than one he hadn't seen coming but Gibbs apparently had, if you could go by his composed reaction to everything. When they'd gotten into a fight two weeks later, Tony had tried to help him by repeating the words Gibbs had told him weeks before; that it was a bad idea and it wouldn't work out if they tried to be more than friends. But he couldn't deny that he'd felt a surge of jealousy when he'd seen Gibbs with Balboa. Nothing had happened really, the older man had just laid his hand in Balboa's neck as a sign of gratitude. And yet, he hadn't been able to keep the accusation out of his words when he had confronted Gibbs about it in the basement later that evening. They had defied their friendship too many times and now they couldn't go back to how it had been before they had allowed their attraction to surface.

Tony tries to shake it off as he walks through security and into the elevator. It stops one floor before their bullpen and opens to show Balboa waiting there, a few files in his hand and a smile far too bright for a Monday morning.

"Good morning DiNozzo!" he says cheerfully as he joins him in the confined space. Tony nods, "Balboa. You going up to our bullpen? I thought you were working with the cybercrime unit this week?"

The other man smiles in return. "I am, but I just have to drop off a few files for Gibbs first." He holds up the files in his hand to show what he's talking about.

Tony tries not to let anything show but he sticks out his hand surprisingly fast. "You can give 'em to me, I'll just pass them on to Gibbs." His voice doesn't give much space for argumentation but still, Balboa doesn't hand over the paperwork. "It's not a problem, thanks for your help!" At that moment, the elevator doors open and Balboa walks out before Tony can keep him from marching over to his Boss' desk. He tries not to watch them like a hawk but it becomes increasingly difficult when Balboa drops one of the files and bends down to retrieve it, with Gibbs throwing his ass the briefest of glances. Tony looks around the bullpen. It's still early and the three of them are the only Agents already there. He stands up abruptly and walks over to Balboa, holding out his hand. "You can hand those files over to me now, I'm handling the paperwork today", and then, almost as an afterthought, "here's your coffee, Gibbs." He takes over the files and watches Balboa frown, looking from Gibbs to him and then back to Gibbs. Gibbs shrugs, as if it's out of his hands – which it is – and Balboa walks away but not before looking over his shoulder one more time.

"You gonna piss on those files too?" Gibbs asks the question calmly but there's an underlying note of amusement barely hidden. He's mocking him. Tony has to bite his tongue to keep from answering but the answer is playing over and over in his head.

'_Whatever it takes to keep him away from you.' _

He works hard that morning, barely sparing McGee and Ziva a glance when they come into the bullpen. They haven't been given a case already so that grants him enough time to file Gibbs' work. The team leader is up in MTAC assisting the Director and McGee has been assigned to help Abby with other teams' cases as long as the MCRT doesn't get a case of their own. Ziva is looking over a cold case and it's just the two of them at their desks.

After half an hour she comes over to his desk to bounce some ideas off of him.

"Little busy here, Ziva."

"_What_ is going on, Tony? You have been quiet all morning, what happened?"

He sighs, props his head up with his arm and looks at her intently, as if trying to decide whether or not to trust her. She moves to sit on the corner of his desk, making clear that she's not going before he has spilled his guts. He complies because there's no way he wants to make her angry – choose your enemies wisely, you know?

"Balboa makes me pissed, he's always hanging around Gibbs, trying to please him in every way he can."

Ziva frowns. "Why does that make you pissed?"

"It's my job to make him ha…" Tony swallows. "I have nothing to do here if he keeps taking over my work."

Ziva laughs at that. "Come on, Tony! You hate paperwork! Which is why you surprised me by getting Gibbs to give his work to you for an entire week. You have the instincts of a cop on the street, you _love_ fieldwork. Not too long ago, you would have been jumping up and down if someone wanted to take over your desk duties. And when you _are _sitting at your desk, you spend more time playing stupid games than you do working. Try again."

"Hey, those games are a lot of fun! But then again, you wouldn't know fun if it slapped you in the face, _David_."

His colleague sighs. Leave it to Tony to deflect everything that comes too close to his personal zone. "Come on, admit it. You." – Ziva points at him – "are jealous."

"Jealous?" Jesus, why did his voice sound like an eight-year old girl just now?

"Tony. This has been going on for too long, get over yourself already and go get him." She rolls her eyes and moves to get off the desk and walk back to her own when Tony reaches out and grabs her arm before she's out of reach.

"But first he says we can't act on it to keep the team together and now he's mad at me for not wanting to start something. I can't keep up anymore!" He throws his hands up in defeat.

"Yeah, and this is obviously helping the team, you acting like a child whose toy has been taken away by someone else to play with."

"Toy? What… Do you _talk _to him or something?"

Ziva just frowns and then she moves on. "You have been partners for years. You probably already fight like a married couple too." She rolls her eyes again. "Come on Tony. I do _not _care if you become partners in every sense of the word. I know for sure that Tim would not mind either. Ducky would probably congratulate you two for finally growing a pair and Abby would just ask if she could watch you two. If _we_ do not care, why do _you_?" she then jumps off his desk and resumes her work as if nothing happened.

Tony keeps staring at her for a few moments before he realizes that she's right. Maybe starting a relationship would make them grow even closer? If that were the case, the team would in fact only profit from it…

* * *

><p>It's already gone dark and it's cold outside, but Tony needs a moment to compose himself before going into the house and facing Gibbs. He takes a deep breath before he pushes the door open and walks inside. He's surprised to find Gibbs in the kitchen; normally at this hour he'd already be covered by an inch of sawdust. The older man spins around and looks surprised to find Tony standing there. He finishes putting on the coffee maker and walks over to him slowly before stopping a few feet away from him.<p>

Tony clears his throat, afraid that nothing will come out if it's as tight as it feels right now.

"Sit."

Gibbs raises an eyebrow and seems ready to argument with Tony so the younger man interrupts his train of thought.

"Please, Jethro. Can you sit down for a moment?"

The older man seems to realize that this must be important so after a slight hesitation, he moves towards the couch and sits down, his shoulders tense and a serious look in his eyes.

Tony follows him and sits down in front of him, on the coffee table, with his legs between Gibbs'. Tony doesn't speak immediately but he doesn't break the established eye contact in between them either. Whatever he was searching for, he seems to have found it because when he speaks, he seems sure of his words.

"I need this to work out."

"What?" the tension doesn't leave Gibbs' body and Tony leans forward, laying his hands on Gibbs' knees.

"You, me, this, whatever?" he makes a vague gesture in between them. "First, I shared your opinion into thinking the problem was the team, that we couldn't start a relationship because it would mess with the hierarchy, the dynamic, or because I wouldn't be able to handle it if our friends would not be okay with it. I now know that that isn't the issue."

Gibbs just gazes at him, his face unreadable. Tony takes that as a sign to continue.

"Then I thought that it must be my fear of commitment that was keeping me from taking that step. It made sense because you seemed just as determined not to start anything serious ever again, either. But I realized that there had to be more because something was really nagging at me, holding me back from giving in when you needed me to be there for you." Tony sighs and moves his hands away from Gibbs' knees to rub them against his eyes in an effort to gain some sense of control over the whirlwind of thoughts going through his head.

"Your friendship is unbelievably important to me. You are the only one who really knows me and hasn't run away because of that. I thought that I was afraid of making a commitment to you, but I realize now that I am already as committed as I can possibly be. I have never trusted someone so deeply as I trust you and no one has ever accepted me without trying to change at least one thing about me."

He reaches for Gibbs' hands and takes them in his. "I care so much about you it's ridiculous and the thought of something going wrong and our friendship being ruined scares the _shit_ out of me so I _really_ need this to work out, do you get that? I need to know that we'll be able to handle the changes at work, that we will stay a team, okay?" He caresses Gibbs' hands with his thumbs and when he sees the tension drain from Gibbs body, he exhales hard in relief.

He gets up from the coffee table and straddles Gibbs' legs, sitting on his lap. He wraps his arms around the other man's neck and kisses his temple softly before moving back and frowning.

"Jeth? Are you ever gonna say something?"

His words seem to awaken something in the older man and Gibbs draws in a deep, shuddering breath before wrapping his arms around Tony's waist and tightening his grip.

"I thought I'd lost you by demanding so much from you." His voice sounds strained, tight. He closes his eyes when Tony caresses through his silver strands and goes back to pressing soft kisses against the side of his face. He feels Tony smile against his cheek.

"Not letting you go. You're my toy, remember?" He looks at the older man and waggles his eyebrows, which earns him a breathy chuckle.

They're gonna be alright. The relief floods through him and he feels like he could solve all the problems in the world right now.

He softly kisses Gibbs' jaw line.

"I."

He kisses the right corner of Gibbs' mouth.

"Love."

Their eyes lock before he presses a soft kiss against his lips.

"You."

Gibbs cups his neck and jerks Tony back to him, covering Tony's mouth with his. The kiss is hungry and instantly passionate. He doesn't even have to beg for entrance to make Tony part his lips and when their tongues meet, Gibbs vaguely wonders how he will ever be able to stop kissing the younger man. He softly bites Tony's bottom lip and runs his tongue over it while moving his hands from Tony's waist to his ass. He drags Tony's ass over his lap and the Italian moans loudly against his lips at the feel of Jethro's half hard cock, instinctively repeating the motion.

Tony kisses from Gibbs' lips to his jaw line, along his cheek to his ear, where he softly bites his earlobe and then proceeds to press kisses down to the pulse point located under his ear. He licks it and scrapes his teeth over Gibbs' neck, earning a full body shiver from the older man.

Jethro unbuttons Tony's jeans and unceremoniously shoves his hand inside until his hand makes contact with Tony's naked cock. He groans as he runs his thumb across the head and finds precum already gathered there. Leave it to Tony to go commando when he already has trouble controlling his desire as it is.

"You _tease_.", he whispers hoarsely.

Tony pushes his hand away only to unzip Gibbs' pants and moves off his lap for a moment to tug the pants down and off. He throws them behind him, without even sparing a second glance as to where they land. Gibbs uses Tony's position to push the younger man's jeans down in one motion. They pull off each other's T-shirts and after Tony makes Jethro's boxers disappear somewhere behind the couch, they take a moment to stare at each other's bodies. Jethro shifts and lies down on the couch, tugging at Tony's hand until the younger man comes to lie beside him, facing each other.

Tony makes a low, throaty sound when Gibbs kisses him and takes his erection in his hand. He does the same for Gibbs', taking a firm grip on his cock. He starts stroking it in an agonizingly slow pace, mirrored by his lover.

"Feels so good…." Jethro breathes against his lips and Tony feels a familiar surge of pride coursing through his veins. He speeds up the tempo. They can go slow later, right now he wants to see Gibbs come. He feels that the other man is getting close because Gibbs' hand is going faster too.

Gibbs lets out these soft moans and Tony is getting high on them, doing everything he can to get more of those sounds out of him. He rubs his thumb over the slit and then makes a circular motion around the head, teasing Gibbs before resuming his strokes over his shaft. Gibbs' breath hitches and puts his head in Tony's neck to keep from screaming out when he feels himself tumble over the edge. He bites Tony's neck as he comes in hot spurts over their stomachs and the edge of pain mixed with pure pleasure makes Tony see stars. He grips Gibbs' waist, afraid he'll fall off the couch, when the other man rubs his balls and strokes his cock one last time before Tony comes too. He's never yelled so hard but he's afraid his head will explode if he tries to be quiet.

He sags against Gibbs and spends a few minutes relearning how to breathe before he starts laughing in Jethro's neck – who backs off a little to see what's so funny.

When he looks at Tony's face, the younger man has a dreamy expression written all over it and a slight blush makes him even more handsome than he was before. When Tony reads the question written in his boyfriend's eyes, he shrugs before going back to nuzzle his neck.

"I'm never going to get tired of playing with you!"

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><p><em><strong>THE END!<strong>_

**A/N: That's it! Hope you guys liked it! **


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